CINEA will support the European Green Deal
On 1 April 2021, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) replaced the Infrastructure Network Executive Agency, which acted as the successor of the Trans-European Transport Network Executive Agency (TEN-T EA), created by the European Commission in 2006 to manage the technical and financial implementation of its TEN-T programme.
Tools for the Green Transition
The new agency will have extended means in supporting the European Green Deal and create synergies for a sustainable and resilient Europe. CINEA will continue to manage existing projects and start implementing new 2021-2027 programmes, approved from the European commission on the 12th of February, to achieve climate neutrality by 2050. Among the programmes supported it counts the Connecting Europe Facility (CEF), involved in the deployment of infrastructure and the implementation of the Innovation Fund. Under Horizon Europe programme, the new agency will implement the Climate, Energy and Mobility cluster and it will also take on the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF).
Additionally, one of the major events organised by the Commission on green energy is landing as well at CINEA: the European Sustainable Energy Week, the ideal platform to share ideas and knowhow, and forge alliances about an Energy Union, held from 25 to 29 of October 2021, featuring an extended programme of individual webinars hosted by partnering organisations.
Tools for Resilience and Circular Economy
The Life programme also under its management, has been extended for the period 2021-2027, with funding increased by almost 60% for a total of €5.45 billion. Launched in 1992, the LIFE Programme is one of the spearheads of EU environmental and climate funding. It has financed over 4,500 projects, contributing €5.9 billion to environment protection and climate action. LIFE will also expand into four new sub-programmes: nature and biodiversity, climate change mitigation, clean energy transition and circular economy and quality of life. Under the Life programme, it will endorse important EU policy objectives such as the protection and improvement of the quality of the EU’s air and water, the implementation of the 2030 energy and climate policy framework and it will meet the Union’s commitments under the Paris Agreement on Climate Change.
Furthermore, CINEA will manage two new mechanisms contributing to renewable energy and climate neutrality. The Renewable Energy Financing Mechanism will support Member States in working more closely together towards individual and collective renewable energy targets, and The Public Sector Loan Facility pillar of the Just Transition Mechanism, targeted at the regions most affected by the transition towards climate neutrality. CINEA will run between 2021 and 2027 with over 500 staff, and a budget of around €52 billion.